


When You Were Scared

by SolarMorrigan



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety, Established Relationship, Insecurity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 12:34:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6329353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarMorrigan/pseuds/SolarMorrigan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's time for Dipper and Mabel's summer trip to Gravity Falls- the thing they look forward to all year long. Wirt, then, isn't quite sure why Dipper seems so reluctant to go</p>
<p>Originally posted as a "short fic" challenge on <a href="http://solarmorrigan.tumblr.com/post/140166115493/the-other-half-of-the-ask-from-this-post">tumblr</a> that became a bit more than short</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You Were Scared

**Author's Note:**

> Was kind of on the edge, trying decide whether I should post this here or just leave it on Tumblr, but I do like having all my stories in one place, so here it is
> 
> Always up for [requests](http://solarmorrigan.tumblr.com/ask), if anybody has any ideas!

Dipper buried his face in the crook of Wirt’s neck, mumbling into his skin. “I can’t hear anything you’re saying.” Wirt told him quietly.

Dipper’s only reply was an indistinct “mmph.” Wirt sighed, rubbing his hand up and down the length of Dipper’s back. He didn’t really remember how they’d ended up this way, sitting on Dipper’s bed, Wirt leaning against the wall and Dipper straddling the taller teen’s outstretched legs. There was nothing insistent about the closeness, nothing heated or hurried about the embrace. They had exchanged a few kisses since Wirt had arrived, but it was Dipper’s last night at home before he and Mabel made their yearly trip to Gravity Falls and all they had really wanted to do was spend time in each other’s company. Wirt hadn’t been prepared for how desolate the company felt.

“Are… you excited? To go back?” Wirt asked, more for something to break the silence than anything else, “I mean, last year it was like you couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”

Finally, Dipper sat back, taking his weight on his knees to avoid crushing Wirt’s. “Last year I wasn’t leaving you behind.”

“What’re you- Dipper, I was here last year.”

“Yeah, but we weren’t… like _this_ last year.” Dipper gestured between the two of them, looking down at his hands, “Last year, I guess I thought I needed the time to think. This year…”

“This year you’ll have a great time with your family, just like every year. And- and I’ll be here when you get back, just like every year we’ve been friends.” Wirt insisted, reaching out to take Dipper’s hands.

“It’s different now.”

Wirt glanced away. “I- I know. But…” The rest of the statement was lost against Dipper’s mouth when the other teen surged forward to kiss Wirt.

After a moment of surprise, Wirt regained enough sense to kiss back, releasing Dipper’s hands and gripping his shoulders through his worn sweatshirt instead. Dipper worked his fingers into the weave of Wirt’s sweater—one of Mabel’s more sedate knitting projects—and did his best to eliminate any space between himself and the other boy, lips working fervently. How long they carried on for neither bothered to quantify, but half-drawn breaths between kisses eventually ceased to be enough and they pulled apart to regain their air. “Wirt, I… I love you.” Dipper murmured, still so close words came out hot against Wirt’s lips.

“Dipper…”

Dipper pressed his forehead to Wirt’s and his voice came out small, choked. “Please don’t forget about me this summer.”

In contrast to Dipper’s closed eyes, Wirt’s went wide. Even if it had been implied, neither boy had ventured something quite that serious in the near ten months they’d been dating. “I- I would never.”

“Everything will be different. Next year is senior year and we have so many different classes and then- and then college and we’ll… everything will be different.” Dipper’s eyes scrunched tight as he whispered to Wirt.

“Dipper, don’t…” Wirt slid his hands down Dipper’s back, cinched his arms together in a hug, realized his boyfriend was shaking, “Dipper, please stop panicking.”

“Too late.” Dipper mumbled, pressing so close to Wirt the other boy had no room left to move against the wall.

“It’s- it’s just three months. When you come back we’ll go to school, just like last year, right? And college is… well, that’s thinking kinda far ahead, we can… take it as it comes, okay?” Wirt murmured, “But… please don’t say things you don’t mean just because you’re scared. Please.”

Dipper’s eyes flew open and he jerked back from Wirt in surprise. “What? No, I- no!” Dipper shook his head frantically, “No, I’ve been… I’ve been super fucking scared _to_ say that. I mean it. A lot. More than anything I’ve meant in a long time, I’ve just been too freaked out to say it.” Dipper wound his fingers further into Wirt’s sweater, the fabric likely stretched beyond repair, “And I… I needed to say it now, just… in case.”

“You…” Wirt’s voice was hushed now, uncertain, “You really mean that?”

“What, that I was freaked out? Are you kidding? I’ve been scared out of my goddamn mind, trying to psych myself up enough to actually say it.”

“N-no, I mean- the other thing. I mean, I guess that answers my question, but…” Wirt shook his head.

“Yeah, man. Wirt, I really mean it. I really love you,” Dipper paused, steeling himself, “But, I mean, you… it’s okay if you don’t… if you don’t…”

“I l-love you, too.” Wirt blurted.

Dipper’s eyes snapped back up. “You don’t have to say that. I picked a stupid time to confess anything, I’m so… man, I’m a fucking mess right now, I’m sorry.”

“I know I don’t have to say it. But I want you to know. I mean, I know maybe it sounded- okay, I’m not good with confessing stuff, you know that,” Wirt flexed his fingers against Dipper’s back, “But I really do mean it. Not forced or anything. I promise.”

Dipper let out a strained huff of laughter. “Wow.”

“W-what?”

“Nothing,” Dipper shook his head, “Really, just… wow. Big stuff.”

“Well… you started it.” Wirt glanced away, well aware his face was flushed beyond hiding at this point. At least Dipper’s wasn’t much better.

Dipper said nothing, leaning back in to rest his chin on Wirt’s shoulder, his cheek pressed to the wall. “I’ll be here when you come back,” Wirt said again, “I promise.”

“I’ll call you every night.” Dipper attempted to promise, his voice a bit muffled.

Wirt chuckled quietly. “You’re not going to have time to do that, you’ll be out in the woods every chance you get. Just… try and get me every couple of days?”

“Of course.” Wirt could hear the conviction in Dipper’s voice.

“And I’ll be here.” Wirt said again.

“You’ll be here.” Dipper parroted.

“Yeah… Just try and stop me.”

“Never.”


End file.
